Lisa Murkowski endorses same-sex marriage

Lisa Murkowski endorsed the right of gay couples to marry on Tuesday, joining Rob Portman and Mark Kirk as the third Republican senator to do so.

The Alaskan senator announced the news in comments to Anchorage TV station KTUU on Wednesday morning and in a long commentary posted on her website. Murkowski told POLITICO that it was no overnight epiphany.

In her op-ed, Murkowski said she was influenced by a military family headed by two women who had opened their doors to foster children. But, Murkowski said, “our government does not meet this family halfway and allow them to be legally recognized as spouses.”

Murkowski’s changed course as Capitol Hill braces for rulings on a pair of same-sex marriage cases. She noted that 15 years ago she supported a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman but has now realized that “same sex unions or civil marriages are consistent with the independent mindset of our state.”

“I am a life-long Republican because I believe in promoting freedom and limiting the reach of government. When government does act, I believe it should encourage family values,” Murkowski wrote Wednesday. “I support the right of all Americans to marry the person they love and choose because I believe doing so promotes both values: it keeps politicians out of the most private and personal aspects of peoples’ lives – while also encouraging more families to form and more adults to make a lifetime commitment to one another.”

Murkowski portrayed support for gay marriage as support for smaller government and less federal intrusion and said it was in line with long-held Republican values.

“Like Reagan, Alaskans believe that government works best when it gets out of the way. Countless Alaskans and Americans want to give themselves to one another and create a home together. I support marriage equality and support the government getting out of the way to let that happen,” Murkowski wrote.

Murkowski’s support for same-sex marriage is sure to set off a wave of speculation on which Republican senator will be next to join her, Portman and Kirk. The vast majority of Senate Democrats also support the right of gay couples to marry, excepting some red-state Democrats.

It’s not clear if Murkowski’s position has influenced any of her colleagues: Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), who is up for reelection in 2014, told POLITICO his position against gay marriage remains unchanged.

Alaska’s other senator, Democrat Mark Begich, told POLITICO that Murkowski’s announcement both showed Alaska’s independence — and that it’s a new era for social issues like gay marriage.

“If you’re a Republican, maybe they’ll see that as a signal, you know, that times have changed,” Begich said. “I’ve been supportive of this issue for some time. To have her now announce again shows Alaska has a bipartisan approach to many issues. And this is another.”

The news was cheered by the Human Rights Campaign as “courageous and principled” — and also timely.

“As the Supreme Court prepares to rule in two landmark marriage cases this month, a growing bipartisan coalition is standing up for the right of all couples to marry—and there is no turning back that tide,” said HRC President Chad Griffin.